The stone is blocking urine flow and causing an infection or kidney damage

The pain cannot be controlled

Today, most treatments are much less invasive than in the past.

Lithotripsy is used to remove stones slightly smaller than a half an inch that are located in the kidney or ureter. It uses sound or shock waves to break up stones. Then, the stone fragments leave the body in the urine. It is also called extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy or ESWL.

Procedures performed by passing a special instrument through a small surgical cut in your skin and into your kidney or ureters are used for large stones, or when the kidneys or surrounding areas are incorrectly formed. The stone is removed with a tube (endoscope).

Ureteroscopy may be used for stones in the lower urinary tract.

Rarely, open surgery (nephrolithotomy) may be needed if other methods do not work or are not possible.

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